Elizabeth g



(No Model.)

BATH TUBA.

No. 550,542. Patented Nov. 25,1895.

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NDC

'ANDREW BLRANAM. PHOTO-UTNQWASNINGTD NITED STATES ELIZABETH G. SMITH,

or Nrw YORK, N. Y.

BATH-TUB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,542, dated November 26, 1895.

Application filed March 8, 1895.

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELIZABETH G. SMITH, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Bath-Tub, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in portable bath-tubs, and it has for its object to provide a bath-tub capable of being expeditiously and conveniently set up upon a door or other support and likewise capable of being readily dismembered and folded in a manner to occupy a minimum of space in storage.

A further object of this invention is to provide a lining for the frame of the tub, in the nature of a waterproof sheet, and to form in the sheet, at what will be one of its upper corners, a rigid frame forming a lip to facilitate emptying the water from the sheet.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved bath-tub set up, a portion of the sheet being broken away to more clearly disclose the frame. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the frame. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the complete tub, and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the lip portion of the lining or sheet for the frame.

The frame A of the bath-tub may be of any desired shape; but preferably, as shown in the drawings, it is rectangular, comprising two sides 10 and two ends 11. Both ends 11 are connected with the extremities of one side- 10 through the medium of hinges 12, the said hinges being of what may be termed the double or reversible type,permitting the ends to be folded against either the inner or the outer face of the side with which they are connected, as may be found necessary, and one of the end pieces of the fram e is connected by the aforesaid hinges 12 with the opposing side piece, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and the latter side section is fitted for engagement with the Serial No. 541,027. (No model.)

locking engagement.

The frame having been set up and the locking device 13 placed in locking position, a sheet lof rubber or other waterproof material the latter being placed upon the Iioor or other convenient support. The sheet is of sufficient size to fit down along the inner faces of the sides and end pieces of the frame, forming a bottom therefor, and also extends down a predetermined distance over the outer faces of the frame, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The sheet, after being placed in proper position in the frame, is firmly attached thereto by means of suitable fastening devices,spring clips 15 being usually employed for this purpose, tially edges of the frame and likewise over the sheet at this point. Any desired number of these clips may be used.

In order to facilitate the pouring of water from the sheet when the bath is to be emptied, a device comprising two bars a a', of metal or similar material of suiiicient stiffness, is employed, said bars being inserted at the edge being secured, preferably, by turning over the edge of the sheet and vulcanizing or cementing, as clearly indicated in Fig. 4. When it is desired to empty the bath, the bars a a' are grasped in the hands and held at angles to one another, so as to form a channel at one edge of the sheet adapted to facilitate the pouring of water from the sheet.v vice forms a stiffened edge of the sheet, adapted to form a channel for pouring the water therefrom.

Under this construction it is obvious that a bath-tub is provided which may be readily transported from place to place and which may also be vexpeditiously and conveniently set up and used as safely and effectively as the ordinary bath-tub and that the tub may be as readily dismantled as placed in position for use.

of the sheet, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and-,

`This deiY that one side and one en'd are adapted for 6o j is employed in connection with the frame,

and these clips are shown of substan- U form and are forced over the upper I-Iaving thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a bath tub, a collapsible frame, a sheet 5 of Waterproof material comprising the bottom and auxiliarysides of the frame, the said sheet being' provided with stiifened edges adapted for pouring water from the sheet, and means, substantially as described, for holding the sheet in position on the frame, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A bath tub, the same consisting of a frame-eo1nprising side`A and end pieces, one Vside and the two ends having hinged connection, the free extremity of one side and the corresponding,` portion of the opposing end piece being provided with locking,` devices, a

forth.

. ELIZABETH G. SMITH.

I/Vitnesses JN0. M. RITTER, F. M. IIANAFoRn. 

